Research

Maker Studio

Democracy in America

In 1831, the French nobleman, Alexis de Tocqueville, journeyed to America to examine a new political force: democracy. Although alarmed by ?the tyranny of the majority?, Tocqueville believed that democracy was destined to supplant the decaying aristocracy of France. Tocqueville asked: Is the tendency toward equality a tendency toward liberty? Can the majority be restrained to protect the freedom of individuals and minorities? In pondering these questions, Tocqueville presented an unsurpassed picture of American government, culture and attitudes. He proclaimed a new nation with a new theory of human interaction: America, ruled by the will of the majority. But what sort of human being would this society produce? And could democratic man prosper in Europe?